Is it You-you or Oo-oo? Video interview with Drake U’u and Chris O’Brien

When Drake U’u makes a play during a men’s basketball game in Mott Gym, public address announcer Mike Moreno lets you know it by emphatically booming out the Cal Poly senior guard’s last name: “You-youu!”

But all this time, have we been mispronouncing U’u’s name (which is Samoan in origin)?

According to the Hawaii broadcasters – experts at pronouncing Pacific Islanders’ surnames – during last week’s game in Honolulu, we have been. But then again, they also tagged a Pomona on the end of Cal Poly a time or two.

I set out to clear up any remaining confusion on how to properly say Drake’s last name in my latest video, and it ended up being a fun tandem interview with fellow senior Chris O’Brien, who has some nickname pronunciation issues of his own.

See the duo play in their final home game in San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m. on Saturday (March 8, 2013) against visiting Cal State Fullerton in the second half of a doubleheader with the women’s team.

This blog is produced by Tribune reporter Joshua D. Scroggin, who has been covering sports on the Central Coast since 2006.
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